Taking Sustainable Cotton Mainstream Strict Standards: date(): It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /homepages/28/d707910691/htdocs/pakissan.com/english/news/newsDetail.php on line 89

Strict Standards: date(): It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /homepages/28/d707910691/htdocs/pakissan.com/english/news/newsDetail.php on line 89

Strict Standards: date(): It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /homepages/28/d707910691/htdocs/pakissan.com/english/news/newsDetail.php on line 89

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Strict Standards: date(): It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /homepages/28/d707910691/htdocs/pakissan.com/english/news/newsDetail.php on line 89
Wednesday, May-17-2017

Target’sEmily McGarvey
will discussChemicals and the
Future of Desireable Materials
atSB'17 Detroit

In an effort to spur a paradigm shift, leading international retailers, cotton standards, industry initiatives and stakeholders are banding together to form Cotton 2040, an initiative that seeks to make sustainable cotton a mainstream commodity rather than a niche market.

Convened by sustainability non-profit Forum for the Future with support from the C&A Foundation — whose namesake company recently debuted the world’s first Cradle to Cradle Certified™ GOLD T-shirts — the initiative includes retailers such as M&S and Target, industry standards Better Cotton Initiative and Cotton Made in Africa, organic standards represented by Textile Exchange, the Fairtrade Foundation, industry initiatives Cotton Connect, IDH, Cotton Australia, Value Added in Africa and Organic Cotton Accelerator, as well as the London College of Fashion.

Forum of the Future CEOSally Uren
will discussManaging the Workforce
of the
Future
atSB'17 Detroit

The initiative has identified four key priority areas to be tackled over the next two to three years by working groups to share with the wider industry:

Building Demand

Closing the Loop: Scaling up cotton recycling and circularity

Traceability: Building greater visibility and transparency throughout the cotton value chain and across standards

“Past debate around sustainable cotton standards and industry initiatives has at times been polarizing, but we know to make effective progress we need to work together. At Forum, we believe that collaborative action is essential in order to address complex issues that no one entity — whether a business, standard, consumer group, NGO or government — can tackle alone,” said Sally Uren, CEO of Forum for the Future.

“We’re delighted that leaders across the global cotton industry are ready and willing to come together and are excited to help steer them forward through this unique and growing partnership.”

The coalition is currently seeking additional partners with resources, expertise and drive to take action in one or more of these four areas. More specifically, it is inviting organizations to get involved in the ‘Building Demand’ work stream and benefit from testing and piloting the framework internally.

The first priority, ‘Building Demand,’ was launched in November 2016 with the aim of increasing uptake of sustainable cotton from the industry to drive production from 13 percent to beyond 30 percent from 2020. Currently in the works are:

A sustainable sourcing guide, which will serve as a standard neutral decision-making tool for companies wanting to start or increase sustainable cotton sourcing. It will help them develop strategies across different standards, types of cotton or sourcing regions.

Lessons and insights from those who have taken a pioneering role in sustainable cotton sourcing so that those starting out can go further, faster.

Before being launched and shared with the wider textile industry in October 2017, these tools are being tested and piloted by coalition members.

“Cotton 2040 is not a new platform, but a smart way to accelerate the many good initiatives out there working to mainstream more sustainable cotton. Together, we can be more than the sum of our parts and jointly tackle the effects of one of the world’s thirstiest crops,” said Leslie Johnston, Executive Director of C&A Foundation.

“Last year, Target announced our responsible sourcing aspirations around worker well-being, net-positive manufacturing and sustainable raw materials. These aspirations are guiding our work to ensure the owned brand products we deliver to Target guests are made ethically and responsibly,” said Kelly Caruso, President of Target Sourcing Services.

“We’re proud to be a member of Cotton 2040 and have a seat at the table in an initiative that has the potential to change the industry. We’re committed to championing responsibly grown and harvested cotton and this is a strong step toward making that happen.”

Launched in 2006, Sustainable Brands has become a global learning, collaboration, and commerce community of forward-thinking business and brand strategy, marketing, innovation and sustainability professionals who are leading the way to a better future.